Tag: individual

Newer cars are, in general, not the subject of this page. I can walk down to any dealership just like anyone else, and provided I have a pulse, probably walk out with financing for most mid-range cars regardless of whether or not I could actually afford them. Indeed, easy credit has led to the proliferation of many of our favorite brands and cars to the point where most don’t feel all that special anymore. That $2,500 Jetta, for example, is much more rare to see today in that condition – or, at all, truthfully – compared to a new M car.

So all modern cars aren’t really all that exciting? That’s far from the truth, too, as there are many special examples that float by our feed. So while the F10 M5 isn’t a model often featured, it’s probably our loss for not doing so. It’s also easy to forget that even though it feels pretty new, the F10 has been out of production for 2 years and the earliest examples are now 7 years old. Plus, as most M5s do, the entry price point on the antiquated models has dropped considerably compared to their original MSRP, while their performance is still contemporaneous to today’s cars.

The S63B44T0 found under the hood of this particular example was good for 550 plus horsepower; not much more than the model it replaced with that wicked V10. But torque? That’s another matter. While the S85 cranked out an impressive 380 lb.ft at 6,100 rpms, the two turbos tacked onto the S63 V8 produced 500 lb.ft of torque with a curve as flat as the Salt Lake from 1,500 rpms through over 5,000. That massive power could be channeled through a manual gearbox, and it could also be outfit from BMW’s Individual arm. These are the most fun to see, albeit very rarely do they come up for sale:

Speaking generally, there aren’t too many new cars that cross the pages of this site. It’s even somewhat rare for us to breach the decade-old mark; that’s the point where really nice used examples of our favorites start to become hard to locate. And, frankly since anyone can walk into a dealership, sign a few papers and walk out a lot lighter but with any specification car they can afford, the older metal is typically what draws our (and, hopefully, your) interest.

But once in a while something pretty special comes along, from a 911R to this car. The fifth generation F80 M3 has taken a huge leap forward in complexity, technology and performance. The S55 twin-turbocharged inline-6 is an absolute tower of power; while ultimate horses didn’t increase much version the E9x S65 V8 (425 versus 414), the torque was the big news. It was in part the final number – 410 lb ft., up an amazing 90 over the V8, but it was also the reality of when you could use that torque. The S65 developed peak twist at just shy of 4,000 rpms; the S55 does it at 1,850. Not only that, but the torque curve is billiard table flat until 5,500 rpm. The result, despite the heavy weight stature of the new gigantic F80, is astonishing speed.

By itself, the F80 M3 is a force to be reckoned with. However, this particular M3 is just that bit more special, as it was handed over the group at BMW Individual and painted in E46-signature Laguna Seca Blue:

I’ll admit it; I’m a bit of a sucker for off-colored cars. Perhaps it’s having something that most others don’t. Maybe it’s my anti-social id expressing itself through vibrant tones. Or, more likely, it’s just nice to see cars in a shade out of gray scale. In this case, this 2004 M3 is one of twelve imported in the BMW Individual shade of Brass (Messing) Metallic. Are the results of choosing such a different tone on the E46 successful? You bet your brass….

In my search for a M3, I kept my eye out for Individual shades on the E46 just to keep things interesting. Velvet Blue, for example, was one that caught my eye. I can’t imagine having the fortitude to plunk down the extra 10% premium to order a car that I couldn’t see in the flesh, then to sit for months on end waiting for it to arrive – hoping they painted it the right shade! But thankfully some buyers have the vision and means to provide us with very interesting color choices on these cars. Though they rarely come up for sale in comparison to the sea of black and silver that consumes 90% of the M3’s production, it certainly is awesome to see one in a unique shade such as this E92 specified through Individual in Brewster Green:

While the twin Individual Gran Coupes from this morning were certainly a good start, if I were seriously contemplating special ordering a car and paying extra for it, it would probably be a full-fledged M model. BMW’s obviously made a habit of offering limited-run M models, and it seems – generally – that those models plus the regular run of options resulted in less people turning towards BMW Individual to spec out their cars. But thankfully, some did – and we end up with some pretty cool color combinations, such as the Java Green hued 2013 I looked at last year.

One of my biggest gripes with some special editions is that they don’t seem to be particularly special at all; generally, just a different than normal color combination. All of the manufacturers are guilty of this, not just BMW; but the Lime Rock Park Edition is one that really makes me cross. I’m not even sure why; it is, indeed, a special car – a fully loaded Competition Package car, limited to 200 examples in Fire Orange, with a unique exhaust and a track map indicating the etymology of the name. It was also the end of the legendary 2-door M3 (for now). But since you could special order Fire Orange from BMW’s Individual department and have, theoretically, a 1 of 1 example for about the same money, I just was never sure why the Lime Rock Park Edition was so special. One thing is for certain, though – the color stands out on this exceptional package and if you were clever, you beat BMW to the market:

I was pretty surprised to come across a F06 BMW Gran Coupe in the neat shade of Frozen Bronze Metallic (X11) this week while surfing the sea of black, silver and white examples out there. Don’t believe me? There are some 32 Gran Coupes selling used on eBay as of the time I write this; only four of them are not one of those shades. Two are dark blue which is lovely, but the Frozen Bronze somehow is a bit more in character with the model somehow. But, to order one you need to go through BMW Individual, so I was doubly surprised to see a second Individual Gran Coupe in the same shade. I can’t help but consider these cars homages to the E24 L6s and early M6s, with their fully leather-wrapped interiors and optional Bronzit color. Which one pulls off the Matte better?

The search for what I’d consider to be the ideal M3 continues; my bank account may not reflect it, but I’m one year closer to E46 ownership – at least, in theory. And for those of you who follow my posts, that means my pool of candidates is reduced to something in a shouty color. So when this BMW Individual Dakar Yellow M3 popped up, it seemed to fit the criteria of cars I’d drool over – but at the same time, it looked familiar. Sure enough, last May I wrote this very car up. It’s pretty unique outside of the special shade, as a “slicktop” with no sunroof and with very low miles (less than 500 accrued since last May), this is a neat package. I like, too, that the seller has lowered the price to $28,500 and fitted some ZCP BBS wheels instead of the expensive but ugly (in my opinion) HRE wheels featured last time around. There are even better photos showing how vibrant the color is. The drawback? For me, still the SMG transmission is the one item that is the deal-breaker. Otherwise, though, this is one cool package!

The below post originally appeared on our site May 21, 2014:

The E30 before it, the E36 chassis BMW quickly became a fan-favorite for affordable, practical, and sporting German motoring. From nearly its inception I can recall tuned and tweaked models showing up at the track. Relatively easy engine swaps, a plethora of aftermarket tuner and support and with a ton of them produced, it’s easy to see why the E36 is a popular choice for enthusiasts. That said, we’ve seen just about every conceivable swap completed and nearly every permutation of E36 cross these pages; but once in a while, one really stands out. Or, in this case, two:

I believe I’ve recounted it before, but the E36 M3 Sedan was the first fast car I ever got to drive after receiving my license. My best friend’s dad was a high-powered lawyer who lived modestly but loved his toys, hiding an Estoril Blue M3 4-door and 6 Ducatis behind his unassuming 2-car garage doors. With carefully timed and worded requests, we were allowed to take it out on occasion and entered active car enthusiasm for the first time after years of reading and dreaming. The car purred, growled, and clawed its way around the island we grew up on, and thus firmly planted itself in my automotive genetics. It is essentially why I write for this blog.

Bob alerted us to this exceptional M for sale on eBay. It’s covered a relatively low 73k miles and is claimed to be “shockingly nice.” From the photos and description it looks it, an excerpt of which follows.

At EuroWerkz we have bought, sold, owned, maintained, built, modified, showed, and won with some of the nicest BMW M3’s in the country. We are 25+ year members of the BMW CCA. I am a long time member of the E30 SIG as well as an active member of several BMW forums and groups. We love BMW’s we know BMW’s and M3’s and this is one hell of a nice M3.

It took me over 2 years to buy this car from the prior owner and I have enjoyed it for a while so it’s time for the next more permanent owner to enjoy. We would really like to see this car go to a BMW enthusiast who can appreciate it and continue it’s over the top care and maintenance as I see this car as one that will represent the breed 10-20-30 years from now. If your looking for a track car candidate, please not this one. You don’t have a garage space? Please find another car. Live in a big city with sketchy parking? Well, you get the point. There are plenty of excellent condition M3’s out there. This car is just soooo… much nicer than that.

This car looks, runs, and drives like a 30k mile 3 year old M3. It is in fantastic condition for any age and mileage but it is a 12 year old car with just 73k miles. Quite honestly it is the nicest car I have for sale right now and that is saying quite a bit considering our spring inventory of European beauties. You can read below about it’s history, options, and maintenance. Call or e-mail me and we’ll talk about it all day if you want.

Sounds like they mean it! The custom Calypso Red from BMW Individual is gorgeous and unique, though I’m still partial to Estoril. I understand that it has been very well taken care of and they hold this car in extremely high regard, though I’m not quite sure why they are SO enthusiastic and think it deserves well over Blue Book. At writing there’s 2 days left with bidding at $11,400 and reserve not met. If it’s truly as nice as they claim, I’d say it deserves $15-17k. Regardless of what forms their opinion, I’m certainly on board in hoping it goes to a true fan and enthusiast with the time and resources to keep it nice.

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